Simulated football game



Jan. 4, 1949. E, A, KOSS 2,458,388

SIMULATED FOOTBALL GAME 2 sheets-sheet 1 Filed May 23,- 1945 Jan. 4, `1949..

'.2 Sheets-Sheet. 2

Filed May 23, 194:54

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Patented Jan. 4, 1949 UNITED STATES Param ortica SIMULATED FOOTBALL GAME Edward A. Kobs, Minneapolis, Minn.

Application May 23, 1945 Serial No. 595,280

Claims.

This invention relates to a simulated football game and is adapted to provide game mechanism whereby the various plays and the scoring thereof closely approximate that of an actual game of football. n

it is an object of the invention to provide means whereby a game of football can be simulated wherein the plays are not selected by mere chance such as through the rolling of dice or the turning of a spinner, but one player can determine the most feasible offensive play depending uponhis position in the eld, the number of downs and the period of the game, vand the other player will determine his defensive position in a like manner, attempting to anticipate the probable play which will be attempted by his opponent under the specific conditions. It is a game which can be played according to the rules of regulation football and it is one wherein thesuccess of the player depends upon his actual knowledge of the game of football and the proper offensive and defensive plays under the many conditions which might arise in a game.

It is another object of the invention t-o provide Aa simulated football game of the type set forth above which not only will serve as a source of amusement for persons who enjoy regulation football games, but which can also be used as a training device to increase the strategic ability of football players.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention` will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings, whereinv like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the views, and, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the apparatus;

Figure 2 is a plan view thereof with the upper cover and slide members removed;

Figure 3 is an enlarged longitudinal vertical sectional view through the apparatus with the ends broken away;

Figure 4 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view;

Figure 5 is an enlarged plan view of the off ensive play slide member; and

Figure 6 is an enlarged plan View of the defensive play slide member.

As best sho-wn in Figure 4 there is provided a base 's' having stepped railst and 9 moimted 2 vidual indicia bearing areas I4. An inspection of Figure 5 will show that certain of the areas lll bear numerals, some bear let-ters, and others bear letters and numerals. It will also .be seen that the sheet I3 is provided with a zigzag connected series of blank areas I5 between certain of the areas I4 which bearfletters and/or numerals. The zigzag blank portion I5 is transparent.

The overlying transparent defensive slide member I i carries a sheet I6 having a plurality of indicia bearing subdivisions Il some of which bear numerals and other of which bear numerals and letters.

in the case of the indicia in the areas iii of the offensive slide Il) and the areas I 'l of the defensive slider Il it should be understood that some of the indicia on cach slide are of one color and other indicia are of a ccnstrasting color. Certain of the indicia on each slide member are underlined to indicate that their colors are different from the indicia which are not underlined. Beneath the slide members it and II'in the central area of the board is a sheet i8 shown in Figures 3 and 4 and alsoin Figure 2, This sheet is divided into numeral bearing indicia areas.

Referring rto Figure 2 it will be Vseen that the left hand end portion of the base 'I is provided with notations centen guard tacklef off tackle, end, wide end run-kick. The right hand end of the base l is provided with sets of numerals indicative of dierent defensive formations. For instance, the first line of numerals reads 6, 3, 2. This means a defensive formation with a six man line, threemen in the secondary and two men back. The second line 8, 2,k l would then, of course, mean an eight man line, a two man secondary and one man back.v

Mounted across the rails 8 and 9 is a central` cover plate il! havingy aplurality of rectangular apertures Z formed therein, as best indicated in Figure 4. Each aperture 2li is normally closed by a hinged closure 2 I having a small `handle Zia at its edge to facilitate opening thereof. Referring to Figure 1 it will be seen that there are fourrows of hinged closures 2 i, each of which, of course, covers an aperture 28. The transverse row A is the row of line apertures, B is the row of secondary apertures, C isthe row of safety apertures, and D is the row of kick and punt apertures. It will also be noted that there are eleven apertures or closures 2l in each of the rows A, B, C, and D'. In the line and secondary rows A and B the central covered aperture of each is for a center play and is indicated by the letter c; the flanking apertures "g are for plays through guard; next the apertures t are' for through tackley plays; the. next two labeled oi are for oi tackle plays; the next are for end plays and are marked e; and the two outer ones are marked"w.e. for wide end runs.

The cover plate I9 has a pair of hinged screens 22 connected thereto as at 23, it being possible to raise the screens so that opposing players cannot see the manner in which the other has set his offensive or defensive slide member in setting up the play.

At one side of the base 1 is a dovetailed track or guide 24 upon which is movable a yardmarker element 25. The guide 24, as shown in Figure 1, is provided with one hundred apertures 26 which are adapted to removably receive a suitable peg to determine the position of the ball longitudinally of the field. The yard marker 25 is adapted to measure off ten of the holes 26 in the same manner as the ordinary linesmans chain. A rotatable square block 21 is mounted on one side of the base 1 and is adapted to carry numerals through d so that the particular down can be indicated and remembered.

The originalfposition of the ball on kick-off must be determined in some arbitrary manner as by the rolling of dice. For instance, the higher number of the two dice can be multiplied by ten and the lower number added thereto. If a five and two are rolled the ve would be multiplied by ten and two added making a kick-off of fiftytwo yards. The offensive player then sets the edge or outer end of the slide l at the play position indicated on his end of the board which'he desires to utilize as his opening scrimmage play. If the rst scrimmage play is to be off tackle he would move his slide I0 to the off tackle indication on the base 1. This is done with the shield or screen 22 raised so that the opponent cannot see the setting of the oensive slide I0. The defensive player then tries to anticipate what type of play might be expected with the play at first down after an opening kick-off of fifty-two yards. The

defensive player would then set his defensive slide Il to one of the line formations indicated on his end of the base 1 and shown at the upper end of Figure 2. cover the apertures 26 at the center of the cover I9 will be raised, the offensive player lifting either the right hand or left hand oif tackle hinged cover at his option. This will expose an indicia area l'i on the defensive slide Il or if there is a transparent or blank area beneath the particular cover on the slide Il it may expose indicia on the underlying slide I0. It might happen that there is a transparent area exposed on the slide I0 because of the particular position thereof, whereupon one of the indicia areas on the stationary table or sheet I8 will be exposed. The background colors of the areas are different to indicate whether a gain or loss should be counted.

The specific and complete rules of playing the game are not disclosed herein, but a brief description of the method of play is indicated above. Under certain circumstances the indicia area eX- posed in the rst line A may permit raising of an off tackle hinged closure in the secondary line B. Of course, in other plays involving safeties and `kicks hinged closures in the lines C and D will be opened.

With apparatus arranged generally as disclosed, it is possible to simulate a game of football which provides realistic actual game conditions, games and scoring results when the rules and tactics of regulation football are followed. It not only provides an absorbing diversion for persons who have a knowledge of football but, as stated in the ob- Then the hinged closure 2l which jects, it provides a very good medium for training players in the tactical theory of an actual football game.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, arrangement, details and proportions of the various parts without departing from the scope of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a simulated football game, a hase, a pair of members supported on said base having indicia bearing portions subdivided into individual indicia areas representing the results of football plays, one of said members lying over the other, said members being independently movable relatively to said base, said upper member having windows disposed in its indicia bearing portion and between certain of said individual indicia areas to permit the reading of indicia on the underlying of ,said members, a cover overlying said members, and said cover having apertures with movable closures to permit viewing of indicia aligned with said apertures when said closures are shifted to an open position,

2. The structure in claim 1, and one of said members having an indicator associated therewith to show the setting thereof for different types of offensive plays, and the other of said members having an indicator associated therewith to indicate the setting of said member for different defensive formations.

3. The structure in claim 1, and one of said members having an indicator associated therewith to show the setting thereof for different types of offensive plays, the other of said members having an indicator associated therewith to indicate the setting of said member for different defensive formations, and the position indicators for said members and the indicia on said members being correlated to provide for a showing of a gain or loss commensurate with the expected average gain or loss in an actual football game under similar offensive plays and defensive plays.

4. The structure in claim 1, and the underlying of said members having windows therein between certain of said individual indicia areas, and a fixed indicia element underlying said first mentioned members. y

5. The structure in claim 1, and one of said members having an indicator associated therewith to show the setting thereof for different types of offensive plays, the other of said members have ing an indicator associated therewith to indicate the setting of said member for different defensive formations, and said windows being arranged in sets, one set being provided for plays terminating at the end of the line of scrimmage, another set being for plays terminating in the second area of defense, and another set for the results of kicks.

EDWARD A. KOBS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 609,915 Sibley Aug. 30, 1898 840,144 Lincoln Jan. 1, 1907 1,617,389 Harrison et al Feb. 15, 1927 1,667,148 Farrell Apr. 24, 1928 1,670,703 Wylie et al. May 22, 1928 2,120,439 Jamison June 14, 1938 2,260,467 Le May Oct. 28, 1941 2,275,306 v Morrison et al Mar. 3, 1942 

